Shiroka Laka

The old houses were designed in the characteristic architectural style of the Rhodopes by the noted local building masters, and feature two storeys, oriels, built-in cupboards and a small cellar with a hiding place.

Some of the most prominent singers of Rodopi music come from the village, including the Kushlevi Sisters, and many of the local families are well familiar with the style.

Among its graduates are Neli Andreeva, soloist and singer with the Philip Kutev Folklore Ensemble, and composer Georgi Andreev.

On the first Sunday of March, the village also hosts one of the best known kukeri (specific Bulgarian type of carnival) celebrations in the country, Pesponedelnik as it is called.

Their costumes are decorated with bulbs of garlic, beans and peppers and they wear a belt with characteristic Rhodope bells attached to it.